Why OU football has 'a ton' of confidence in Marvin Mims despite struggles at Iowa State

NORMAN — Dillon Gabriel couldn't have thrown the ball any better.

The redshirt junior quarterback decided to let it fly midway through the opening quarter of OU's 27-13 road win over Iowa State on Saturday, and he was eyeing his favorite target. Gabriel heaved a deep ball toward Marvin Mims, who was battling cornerback T.J. Tampa as the two raced down the field.

The ball sailed over Tampa's helmet and landed on the shoulder pad of Mims, who couldn't make the catch as he fell into the end zone.

"That is an absolute dime by Dillon Gabriel," FS1 commentator Mark Helfrich said after the play. "Tough start for Marvin Mims."

The day didn't get any easier for Mims, who converted a team-high six targets into just two catches for 16 yards.

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It marked a rare poor showing for the Sooners' top receiver. Still, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby doesn't intend on changing the game plan for OU's home game against Baylor at 2 p.m. Saturday.

"For Marvin, it's just about having that short memory because I'm going to have one," Lebby said. "I'm going to come back to him, and I know he's going to make those plays. We're going to continue to have a ton of confidence in him."

OU needs production from Mims, who is the team's best deep threat. The junior wide receiver is averaging 16.41 yards per catch this season.

The Sooners didn't have much success with deep balls against Iowa State. They only recorded one pass of more than 20 yards.

"We were not able to make plays down the field," Lebby said. "That was what kept us from playing even better."

OU's only catch that went for more than 20 yards was made by Jalil Farooq.

The sophomore wide receiver hauled in a 41-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter that gave the Sooners a 20-6 lead. Farooq caught all four of his targets for 74 yards and a touchdown, and he converted two carries into 26 yards.

After recording just four catches for 67 yards through OU's three non-conference games, Farooq is averaging just over three catches for 52.4 yards per game in Big 12 play.

"I was proud of Jalil," Lebby said. "He did some really good things. He's done a really good job working and being the same guy every single day. We talk about that a ton, and we're excited about where he's going."

Even with the emergence of Farooq, OU's offense is at its best when Mims leads the way.

The Sooners are 3-1 this season when Mims records at least 80 receiving yards, and he'll look to deliver this weekend.

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Bad news Bears

The drought is over for OU's defensive line, but that doesn't mean things will get any easier.

The group recorded its first sack in Big 12 play against Iowa State thanks to Jordan Kelley, who brought down Hunter Dekkers in the early moments of the third quarter. The sack surely lifted a weight off the defensive line's back, although it has little time to celebrate.

Next is a matchup against Baylor's offensive line, which is one of the most stacked groups in the conference.

The Bears are led by Connor Galvin, a fifth-year tackle who earned last season's Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year Award and received a preseason All-Big 12 first-team selection this time around.

Sixth-year center Jacob Gall also earned a preseason All-Big 12 first-team spot, and Khalil Keith is another sixth-year offensive lineman who is a force in the trenches.

Baylor's veteran offensive line presents quite the challenge for OU's defensive line, which hopes to continue to make strides now that its sack drought is in the past.

"We took a step in the right direction from a physicality standpoint," defensive coordinator Ted Roof said of the defensive line. "We've still got a lot of room for improvement and areas for growth. They took a step in the right direction. But that’s last week. Now it’s this week, and we’ve got to do the same thing."

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Dillon Gabriel's gutsy running

Gabriel ran directly into the eye of the Cyclones' defense.

OU and Iowa State were tied 3-3 late in the first quarter of Saturday's game when Gabriel faked a handoff to Eric Gray and ran downfield. He scrambled for a gain of 9 yards before reaching a pair of defenders and slid to the ground.

It was a wise decision. Iowa State's Mason Chambers dove head-first toward the sliding Gabriel and narrowly avoided what would've been a big collision.

Gabriel bounced up after the play, unscathed.

It was just four weeks ago when Gabriel attempted to slide early in the second quarter of a game against TCU. He was leveled by Jamoi Hodge, who was called for targeting. Gabriel exited the game and entered concussion protocol, which sidelined him for a full game.

The injury hasn't seemed to affect Gabriel's willingness to run since his return, though.

The UCF transfer ran the ball a season-high 10 times for 37 yards and a touchdown in a Week 7 win over Kansas. He followed that up by running the ball nine times for 17 yards against Iowa State.

"I’m never being scared," Gabriel said. "Going out there and playing ball, I’m not going to second-guess anything I have to do. I’m healthy. I feel really good. I have my boys right behind me, so I’m all good."

Fear isn't an issue for Gabriel, but Lebby still plans on being careful when picking his quarterback's battles.

"I think he's going to do it when it's needed just to keep people honest," Lebby said of Gabriel's running. "He'll do it situationally for us, and he's got a good feel. I thought he did a really nice job on a couple of scrambles, being able to keep a couple of things alive."

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OU vs. West Virginia kickoff time

The Big 12 announced kickoff times and television info for its Week 11 games, including OU's Nov. 12 road date against West Virginia. The Sooners will face the Mountaineers at 11 a.m. in Morgantown, West Virginia. The game can be watched on FS1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football: Marvin Mims needs to have 'short memory' vs. Baylor